If you’re a sneaker freak like me, you often times find yourself asking the question: How did the footwear designer arrive at this place? Creatures. Insects. Beetles. That’s how. Like many other disciplines, footwear design often looks to nature for inspiration. In this case, it was the Stag Beetle (sub-grouping of beetles known for their pinchers). The exoskeleton and appendages are excellent representations of structure, protection and support for this insect — three very important attributes to consider when creating a running shoe.

What does this translate into when designing the Wave Horizon 2? In the upper of the shoe, it means you’re going to have a protective cage. The protection provided by the upper of Wave Horizon 2 is a combination of reflectivity, securing support and adaptability. The middle layer of the cage is a highly reflective mesh piece, designed for safety on those low light runs. The exoskeleton of the shoe is a 3-d printed unit. Unlike the Stag beetle’s hard crunchy shell, the shoe’s cage (shell) is engineered to hold the foot on the platform, while adapting to the foot’s needs as the runner is in motion. As we look at the midsole of the shoe, you’ll notice a very compartmentalized design — each articulated pod inspired by the segmented design of the beetle’s limbs. Each pod is able to operate independent of the other, but when they all work together, then you’ve experienced our SmoothRide.

After all, that’s why we do this. It’s about delivering on an experience. The experience you can expect in Wave Horizon 2 is very “Mizuno” in terms of the energetic ride you’ve come to love, thanks to Wave technology, but it is also so much more. The Wave Horizon 2 will be a favorite shoe for runners looking to have it ALL. MAXIMUM CUSHION and MAXIMUM SUPPORT. Oh, and not to mention it has a pretty cool design story to share with your running partner on your next long run. Carry on!